One Saint, many cultures
In spite of Saint Barbara belonging to the Christian and Orthodox church, her symbolism within mining culture is far more complex. In the mines of the Limburg region, workers came from different countries and backgrounds.
This did not impede them from developing a series of rituals, prayers and worships that strengthened the sense of the mining community. Saint Barbara was not only their protector, or their Catholic referent, but a symbol of unity, community, and respect amongst the miners.
The legend of Saint Barbara
Symbolism in 3D
Saint Barbara Statues as Objects of Worship
In spite of her fierceness, Saint Barbara is depicted with delicacy. Her most significant attributes are the three-windowed tower, the crown, the red and green tunic, and the palm branch. These attributes are all connected to her legend.
Click on the annotations on the 3D models to find out what they mean.
This 40 cm painted replica (unknown artist) of a Saint Barbara plaster statuette is displayed at the Netherlands Mijnmuseum. In this representation of the saint, the three characteristic symbolic attributes appear: the lamp, the palm branch, and the tower (Stracke, 2013). Many families of miners kept or still keep statues like these. They have become objects of personal worship.
3D model created by Inés Flor
This 45 cm high plaster figure (unknown artist) depicts Saint Barbara in a similar way to the model on the left. However, the tower of this statue shows a distinct difference. Figures like this could also be found in the churches of the mining community as well as down in the mines. They were placed in shrines or rock crevices where the miners could ask for the protection of the saint.
3D model created by Julia Weber
A prayer of the miners
For the protection of Saint Barbara
Many prayers of the miners were directed to their patroness Saint Barbara. You can see one of the traditional prayers on the right.
Click on the buttons to listen to an audio recording in Dutch. Information about the content of the prayer is provided in English.
Saint Barbara in popular culture
The story of Saint Barbara is still relevant and the saint has a significant cultural legacy as a character appearing in movies, songs, and plays. Here you can find some interesting facts about Saint Barbara in popular culture.
"Barbara" (2017)
A film by Mark Handels set in the 1950s and tells a story about the fears that women of miners had for their men working in the deep underground. The storyline revolves around the marriage of a young miner Sjef, his pregnant wife Maria and Saint Barbara, the patron saint of miners. Watch the trailer
The Hold Steady (2006)
Saint Barbara is related to the song “Don’t let me explode” by rock band Hold Steady. In 2006, during the music festival “Lollapalooza”, the frontman Craig Finn told the story of Saint Barbara and compared her conversion to Christianity in those times with having face tattoos nowadays. Listen to his speech and the song
The Salty Piece of Land (2004)
Saint Barbara plays the main character in this novel by Jimmy Buffet. Learn more
Santa Bárbara, Virgen y Mártir (1971-1973)
This was the first telenovela in Spanish filmed in Hialeah, Florida, the U.S. Watch the trailer